Roger Allam – on stage at the
Globe in London The Tempest, Endeavor, This England, Henry IV Part One,
The Woman in Black, Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides, The Queen, V
for Vendetta, Tristram Shandy

It’s hard for a film to live up to a
book as powerful as The Book Thief
and this film is flawed. There are too many rosy cheeks and I can’t decide what
I think of everyone speaking with German accents. On the other hand, it would
probably disturb me if they all spoke with British accents.

The book didn’t have a false word or
nuance in it. The film has a few clichés and Hollywood touches. Sophie Nélisse
undoubtedly has a fine acting career ahead of her but unfortunately she’s
miscast as Liesel.

Nevertheless, it’s a good film. Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson are very good,
as always. Everyday life in Nazi Germany at war is well depicted.